"D-don't..."
"But what is it? Are you the swallow who flirts with wealthy ladies? Are you the host? Huh?"
I pulled Landt's cheek with all my strength. Landt's cheeks stretched with every force.
"You get your sister's words just because you're a bit older, don't you understand it like crap? Huh?"
Landt took my hand. My hand covered Landt's cheek, and Landt's hand covered it. The warmth gently wrapped around the back of my hand.
"Sister, your words are like heaven. I haven't forgotten."
His dark brown eyes held a gentle warmth.
"What happened at the palace?"
Landt took my hand and pulled it down. I obediently let go of Landt's cheek. Landt's cheeks were slightly red, but not as obviously as when he was younger. It was worth the owner buying and carrying herbs that were said to be good for the skin.
"Yeah, I got bitten by a crazy dog."
'Damn, you crazy dog. And it's an extra-large, crazy dog.'
"Are you hurt?"
Landt quickly checked my body.
I shook my head. Seeing me like that, Landt let out a sigh of relief. I embraced Landt. Just a year ago, I used to hold him, but now that Landt has grown so much, it's the opposite.
"You smell like sweat."
Landt hugged me, looking troubled. The scent of warm sunlight came from Landt.
"Miss!"
I was comforted in Landt's warm embrace when I heard a voice urgently searching for me. I just turned my head to look at the person searching for me. Marie, who was in the main building, was running in a panic.
"Miss, something terrible happened!"
Marie's face looked extremely anxious.
"-I-I've received word that Count Pison is critically ill!"
***
Count Pison returned exactly two months after that day of departure. Whether by chance or fate, that day was the day he died at that time. He found a mansion closest to the Elliot family and moved there.
The Elliot family's mansion was located on Elberrod Street, said to be the most expensive in the imperial capital. Elberrod Street was home to nobles, especially high-ranking nobles, and even with money, it was not easy to find a mansion. During that brief two-month period, he not only purchased the mansion but also showed the drive to completely redesign the interior.
The Count often wanted to travel between the Elliot and Pison families to talk with me. He tried to spend most of his time with me, as if trying to make up for the time he had ignored me.
He was a good person to talk to. As a merchant who had traveled to many places, he knew a lot. He also had a unique wit that made conversation with others comfortable and enjoyable. He shared with me unusual customs from other countries, stories he had experienced, and interesting stories he had picked up while traveling to various places. Sometimes he spoke about the Marchioness. He reminisced about the Marchioness's childhood and the happy times he shared with her. Whenever he spoke of the Marchioness, he always wore a bitter expression. It was clear from his expression that the Marchioness's suicide had left a deep wound on the Count. He was also the person who felt the most sorry for the nanny's work.
The Count returned just after the nanny was expelled. To him, the nanny was like his daughter, the Marchioness. Having watched the nanny since childhood, he seemed deeply shocked that she had done such a thing. The Count apologized to me, the Marquis, and Landt. He blamed everything on himself.
He tried to find the nanny immediately but couldn't. The fact that he couldn't find her, despite having a large merchant, meant the nanny had deliberately hidden. In the end, he gave up on finding a nanny.
The Count did not die following the Marchioness's footsteps as before, but he was now very weakened. The Countess tried to find medicines that boosted his strength and foods said to be good for his health, but saw little effect. The death of the Marchioness left him with severe psychological and physical aftereffects.
As time passed, he found it increasingly difficult to move. For the past few months, he hadn't even been able to get out of bed. Those around him had to prepare themselves mentally to gradually let him go.
Today could have been that very day.
I instructed Marie to have the carriage wait. Marie immediately left the training ground. Landt looked at me with a worried expression.
"Are you okay?"
The Count was the first person I felt affection for as family after recognizing that I was myself. No matter how mentally prepared I was, when it finally happened, I was completely uneasy.
"If I say it's okay, I'd be lying, right?"
Landt hugged me tightly. Landt's warm hand slowly brushed my back. Landt never said that even empty words would be fine. It seemed the child could sense that today could be his last.
"Shall we go together?"
From the Count's perspective, Landt was quite an awkward presence. The Count neither hated nor loved Landt, who might have been the reason his daughter had driven her to suicide. He felt sorry for Landt. He lamented that Landt was in a difficult situation as an illegitimate child. However, it was an unchanging fact that Landt was one of the reasons for the Marchioness's suicide.
The Count cared for Landt kindly, but he couldn't hide the sadness on his face whenever he saw the child. Every time he saw Landt, it was as if he thought of his deceased daughter.
The perceptive Landt tried to avoid encountering the Count whenever he came to see me.
Although it wasn't their intention, just facing each other wounded them. It might have been better not to look at the face.
It would be better if Landt joined me, but the Count Prison family didn't look up to Landt. They were unaware of the Marchioness's suicide, but they were well aware that Landt had joined the Elliot family as soon as she died. It wasn't Landt's fault, but the people of the Count Pison family didn't like him.
Although they didn't openly express it because of the Count and me, it was clear that they avoided Landt. Today, the Count Pison family will be filled with Count family members who have received the news that the Count is critically ill. I didn't want to bring Landt among such people. I shook my head.
"It's okay."
"But..."
I slipped Landt from my arms and left the training ground to catch the carriage. Landt followed after me, seemingly worried. Marie seemed to be moving quickly, and the carriage was already waiting in front of the main building.
The Marquis was also standing in front of the carriage. Seeing me approach, he got into the carriage first.
"Stay inside. I'll be back."
"Yes, please come back."
Landt hugged me once again. Even without saying anything, I could feel that Landt was worried about me. They must be worried that I might be hurt. I patted Landt on the back a couple of times to show him I was okay.
Time was tight, so Landt soon let me go. I got into the carriage under Landt's worried gaze.
The Marquis was already seated in the carriage. As I sat across from him, the carriage began to move. The distance from the Marquis's residence to the Count's residence took just over 10 minutes by carriage. I hoped the carriage would arrive quickly.
As I sat with my head bowed and feeling anxious, something warm covered the back of my right hand.
Startled, I looked up and saw blue eyes staring at me. The Marquis's eyes were as firm as ever. Seeing his steadfast demeanor somehow put my heart at ease. I smiled at him, though awkwardly. He tightened his grip on my right hand. He didn't let go until the carriage reached its destination.
"Welcome, Your Excellency, Marquis."
"Welcome, Miss."
As soon as he got out of the carriage, the Count's servants came out to greet the Marquis.
I entered the mansion, pretending not to greet them. Usually, the nobles' bedrooms were located on the second floor. It was to buy even a little time in case something unfortunate happened and put him in danger. The Count's bedroom was on the first floor. It was a measure taken by the Countess for his mobility difficulties.
The atmosphere inside the mansion was surprisingly calm. The employees of the Count's family who met me quietly bowed their heads and stepped aside. I moved toward the Count's bedroom. Since I had been here several times before, finding his room was not difficult.
"Elle?"
"Bii?"
In front of the Count's bedroom stood a small girl. I approached her, calling her name.
Elle was the daughter of the Count, born to the Countess. Unlike then, she was able to protect her child. But was it because she was destined to die in the first place? The child was born physically weak.
"Why are you here alone?"
At my question, Elle reached out her arm. I picked up the child. A cute hand, like a maple leaf, slowly stroked my face. Elle couldn't see ahead. It was a congenital issue, like a body born weak, so there was no way to fix it.
Elle hugged my neck. The child was anxious. The Count was Elle's father. Even though she was still a child, she was not incapable of reading the atmosphere around her. I put strength into the arm holding Elle.
"Bii. I want to enter Father's room."
Elle whispered softly. The child seemed to be lingering outside the door, unable to enter the Count's room.
"What about the nanny?"
Elle rubbed her head against my chest without answering. It seemed she understood why Elle hadn't easily entered the Count's room. The Count was now so critically ill that he was almost on the verge of death. No one wants to show a father's death to his child. They would have tried to keep Elle far away from the Count's room.
No matter how busy she was because of the Count, the Countess couldn't possibly leave Elle alone. The child seemed to have avoided the nanny and came here alone.
"Elle, you can't walk alone."
Elle gave no answer. I patted Elle on the back.
As I was considering bringing Elle inside, the bedroom door opened. The person who opened the door and came out was a young man who looked to be in his early twenties. He bowed his head toward the Marquis and me.
"It's been a while, Your Grace."
The Marquis accepted his greeting with a nod without answering. I was a man I had never seen before, but the Marquis seemed to already know him.
"Nice to meet you. Young Lady, this is Evan Lee."
Evan Lee Pison!
The moment I heard his name, I immediately remembered it. He was the Count's successor.
After Count Pison died, he suddenly appeared as his successor. Everyone was surprised by his appearance. In particular, the people of the Count Pison family were shocked by his appearance.
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